For The Summer
by bette23
Summary: In a place where nothing ever changes, things are about to get interesting. What would a summer vacation be without romance, drama, and a little bit of fun? REWRITING
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or its characters. Such a shame.**

"Dad, you're going to hurt your back," Haley James laughed from the backseat as her dad tried to lift her mom's suitcase into the back of their Explorer.

"Haley-Bop, I have muscles of steel," Jimmy James told his daughter. She rolled her eyes, and then busted out laughing when the suitcase and Jake's guitar fell out. Even after two back surgeries, her dad was still stubborn about what he could and couldn't do. It was easy to see where she got it from.

"Jake will kill you if you break that, Jimmy!" Their mother, Lydia, called from the front seat. She was shaking her head at her husband who refused to let age slow him down.

"Alright, Hulk Hogan, move aside before you cause any more damage," her twin brother, Jake, said coming up behind him and throwing the suitcase and guitar into the car with ease.

"Show off," their dad grumbled before going around and getting into the driver's side while Jake slid into the back next to Haley.

She and Jake were twins, not visible through looks but very much in personality. They had once had the same shade of chocolate brown hair, but Haley had recently died her locks to a soft honey blonde. Each of them had their dad's big brown eyes, unfortunately. She had always envied her mom's blue shade. Not to mention, Jake stood above six feet, towering over her and her parents. She was never sure where he inherited his height because her father only stood at a measly five foot eight. She and her mom were midgets compared to both of them. Haley always told Jake that they weren't twins because he was a good six feet tall, definitely not inherited from their father who only stood at five foot eight nor their mother who was only five foot three. From a distance, it was hard to tell they were related, but those who knew them definitely agreed that they were similar in personality; awkward, quiet, shy, nerdy, and musically gifted. Both also had a knack for school, Haley being the Valedictorian of their senior class while Jake, maddeningly enough, was Salutatorian. It was still a sore subject for him but she liked to point out that it was his tendency to procrastinate that ruined his chances. While she was one to spend weekends doing homework, he'd wait until the class before it was due to complete it.

"You all got everything, right?" Lydia asked as they pulled out of their driveway.

"Wait!" Haley yelled before being thrown into the seat in front of her. _That's going to bruise,_she thought as she rubbed the spot where the seat belt restrained her. The James family all looked at each other before they all realized the same thing.

"Greta!" they all said.

Five minutes later, their chocolate lab, Greta, was wagging her tail in the back as they were on the road again. Jake had his iPod in and turned up so loud that Haley could hear the music blaring from it. _No wonder he's deaf, _she thought to herself. She smiled when she looked to the front and saw her parents holding hands over the console. It amazed her that after all these years they still acted as though they were teenagers in love. Sometimes it was annoying, mostly when they would get all mushy in front of her, but other times it was cute and she couldn't help but hope the one day she would have the same thing that they had. She put her own ear buds in and turned her iPod on, playing one of her favorite songs by Wilco. Closing her eyes, she smiled at the thought of returning to her favorite place in the world. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina had been her home away from home since she was thirteen. Originally, her parents had bought the beach house for them live at, claiming they wanted change. They were set to move right before Haley and Jake started high school, but decided against it saying Tree Hill would always be home. Instead, they decided to use it for summer vacations. Her dad worked from home and her mom had summers off with the kids, so it worked out perfectly. Her family shared the beach with a few other residents, their section of the beach private to just the home owners.

The ride was only an hour and a half, but it seemed like days. She was especially anxious to arrive this year. This was the last summer she had before college. She would be attending Stanford in the fall while Jake went on to North Carolina. Being separated from him was going to be hard, but she liked to push that out of her mind. This summer she would be sure to spend as much time with her family and friends as possible and make it one she would never forget.

She pulled out her flip phone and texted her best friend, Brooke Davis to see if she was there. She and Brooke had only become friends in the last couple of years. She had always thought Brooke was a skanky cheerleader, but sophomore year they had been paired up for a science project and somehow became friends. When Haley had told her friend about her summer plans, Brooke had immediately called her parents and convinced them to rent a place on the same lot as them. Her parents were absent, but loaded, and somehow Brooke ended up with her own small villa a few doors down. While Brooke was definitely her polar opposite, it worked for them. Her phone beeped.

"_Yep, just pulled into the driveway. Can't wait to see you Tutor Girl," _her friend replied. Haley shut her phone and shifted anxiously in her seat. She was excited to see her friend even though they had just seen each other last week. At the end of the summer, Brooke would be going to North Carolina with Lucas and studying fashion design. She knew Brooke wanted to spend as much time together as possible Peyton Sawyer, their other best friend, had already left for California. She had joined them on their previous summers together but this summer had managed to get an internship with Sire Records. So now the three amigos were down to two. She knew Jake was pretty sad about her leaving too, considering they had gotten awful close their senior year. He didn't say much about it, though. He just pretended like it was nothing.

Finally, her dad took the final turn on to their street and she and Jake grinned at each other all while Greta whined in the back, which soon turned into a full-fledged bark once they had pulled into the gravel driveway. Their petite house sat just as they left it last year. Her dad was first out of the car.

"Okay, okay!" he yelled was yelling as he walked around to the back and unlatched it, "Go you crazy mutt!"

Jake and Haley laughed as Greta shot out of the car straight into the water, nearly knocking over their father in the process. He shook his head and turned back to the infinite amount of luggage lodged in the car.

"You know," he said dramatically when he turned back to the kids, "My backs kind of hurting. Lydia, can you help me into the house?"

Her mom grinned at their father before masking it with a sarcastic look of concern, "Why, Jimmy, I'd love too. You kids can take care of unloading, right?"

"Sure," they both grumbled getting out, and beginning to gather their things. They would definitely have to make multiple trips.

"So, do you think anything's changed?" Jake asked they took their first load into the house.

"No," she replied, "Nothing ever changes here."

They continued their journey back and forth to the car, finally grabbing the last cooler and shutting the back. They parted ways to their respective rooms. Haley rolled her giant suitcase down the hallway. The house was small, only one floor, but it definitely had enough room for them. She and Jake were able to have separate rooms, connected by a bathroom while their parents had the master bedroom and bathroom. The floors were a vintage oak wood and the walls were painted in bright colors, courtesy of her mom. Despite the house only being used during the summer, her mom had done her best to make it look homey. Stumbling into her room, she felt calm at the familiarity. Her light blue walls were offset by the big bay window that faced the ocean. Her white dresser and vanity completed the beach look in her opinion. She sat down on her double bed and felt the soft fabric of the quilt her grandma had made her before she died a few years back. Home. This was definitely home.

Not bothering to unpack any of her things yet, she walked out onto the porch where her brother was already admiring the ocean.

"Never gets old, does it?" he murmured. She shook her head and joined him in admiration.

"I wonder if that Eagle's nest is still there," she mused, remembering the discovery she made last summer, "You remember; the one in the Scott's old maple tree in the back?"

"Probably not," he said, "I mean, there were some hardcore storms out here over the spring."

"That's a shame," she said before glancing at the house on her right, "You think the queen bee is here, yet?"

Jake simply shrugged before staring at the water again. The occupant of next door was still a sore subject for him. Just then, Greta flew past them, nothing but a brown flash.

"No, Greta!" Haley yelled at the soaking wet Labrador. Not moments later they heard something hit the ground and her father let out a string of curse words.

Before they could begin dragging the bags into the house, they heard thumping behind

Jake shook his head and chuckled, "Maybe we should have just left her at home."

Haley laughed as well, "Let's get down to the center."

They made their way inside and saw Greta spread out on the floor with their dad rubbing her stomach and cooing. He was such a sucker for that dog. All she had to do was give him her little eyes and he was goo.

"We're gonna head down to The Docks," Jake rolled his eyes, "Call if you need anything."

They bid farewell to their parents and hopped into the SUV to drive the few miles to The Dock's. Thank goodness their parents liked to walk everywhere. She and Jake frequently took the Explorer during the summer. It was way too hot to walk for miles.

The Dock's was a country club meets community center. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it was huge, used by all beach goers in this end of town. There was an indoor section and an outdoor section mixed with the retail section. The indoor section contained the ballroom and banquet room, the food court, and the different activity rooms for the day camp that was run. Outside is where most people liked to hang out. There were tables spread along the deck that looked out at the ocean, and there was a longer deck that put you right over the ocean. On the backside, there was a basketball court, a tennis court, picnic tables, and grills for anyone who wanted to have a barbeque. There was also sand volleyball. Lastly, the furthest side is where the boats were docked. Not many people owned a boat, but a fair amount. By the boat docks was the super store which served as a gas station and supply store. This is where equipment could be bought and ordered for any type of boat; sail boats, canoes, and motor boats included. The Dock's was definitely the place to be if you weren't on the beach.

They pulled into the parking lot and immediately made their way to the outdoor section.

"How'd I know everyone would be here?" Jake said as they approached the basketball court.

"Because they're always here," Haley teased. It was true. This entire beach filled with things to do, but their friends were always at the basketball court. It made no sense to her, but she wasn't really ever into basketball.

"Charge!" they heard someone yell from the court.

"Ten bucks says that's Lucas," Jake chuckled recognizing the voice and argument.

"No way!" they heard another voice, "You're feet weren't even planted!"

"And that would be Nathan," Haley laughed.

Sure enough, the two Scott brothers were engaged in battle with the rest of the group watching and laughing at the two. No one attempted to break up the fight, knowing it would be settled in no time and wishing to continue this entertainment for as long as possible.

Lucas and Nathan Scott were half-brothers, Lucas older by three months. The Scott family tree was incredibly complicated, but the basics were this; Dan got Lucas' mom Karen pregnant at the end of high school, he then went on to college to get Nathan's mom, Deb, pregnant as well. He left Karen and married Deb. The end…sort of. Fights between Lucas and Nathan were not uncommon, as that's all they did for the longest time. The two loathed each other through most of high school, only settling their differences their junior year when Lucas joined the Ravens basketball team, of which Nathan was the star player. Haley wasn't sure of all the finer details since the two Scott brothers were two years older than her and this all occurred her freshman year of high school. She had known Nathan for a while; his parents were one of the original houses on this part of the beach so they had been friends since she and Jake started coming down here, although he was better friends with Jake than her. His cocky jock attitude irked her nerves much of the time and the other part, well he didn't take too much notice of her. She was younger and they had nothing in common. The only time they hung around was when he and Jake were running around and Jake drug her along. Curse her brother for being popular. As for Lucas, well she definitely had more in common with him. They got on really well and she actually considered the other Scott to be one of her good friends. Nathan had started bringing him to the beach house after they became closer their junior year. Dan and Deb Scott hadn't been seen around these parts since, so the beach house pretty much belonged to those two.

"You can have it," Nathan finally conceded with a smirk, "You're still going to lose."

Haley and Jake parted ways, Jake going onto the court while Haley spotted Brooke exactly where she knew she'd be.

"How'd I know you all would be here," she joked plopping down next to her..

"Tutor Girl!" Brooke squealed excitedly hugging her friend as though they hadn't seen each other in weeks, "You know I'll always be where Lucas is."

"That doesn't sound stalkerish at all," she joked.

"No, stalking is Rach-hoe's thing," Brooke pointed out, "I simply like to position myself anywhere Lucas is so he can take notice of me."

"Brooke, it's Lucas," Haley said, "He's oblivious so there is really no point to being all creepy."

"Sad, but true," she sighed, "I just wish he'd make a move already. I mean, you can only flirt with each other so long. Plus, I'm officially a college student so he can't blame it on the age. Besides, you're one to talk, how long have you been pining after the other half of the Scott brothers?"

"I have not been pining," Haley gasped, "And I don't know what you're talking about."

"That's what you do, Haley, you pine. You're a piner," she stated knowingly.

Haley huffed turning her attention to the court. Okay, so maybe he didn't get on her nerves too much and she may have had a small crush on him, only since they first met when she was thirteen. That was then, though. She has come to realize that although Nathan may be good looking, he was definitely not her type. She wasn't his type either; she doesn't have large breasts, a killer tan, and bleach blonde hair. Nathan definitely had a type and it was any hot girl he could slip between the sheets. He was the star player of the Duke Blue-Devils after all and she, well, she was just little ol' Haley James. She watched as the group of boys huddled together on the court, her eyes on the handsome Raved-haired boy. Definitely over him…right?

"Well if ain't Jake James," Skillz Taylor said from the court as Jake approached them. Skillz was a local resident and one of the first people he met his first summer. They'd been friends ever since discovering their mutual love for old school hip hop.

"What's up fellas?" Jake smiled as he made his round of high fives to the group of guys.

"It's about time you got here, we just got our asses handed to us," Skillz said, "Lucas over here is too busy drooling over B. Davis."

"I am not drooling!" Lucas claimed innocently as a small blush rose on his cheeks. He might have been checking her out, but who could blame him? The girl was beautiful.

"Dude, you totally are," Nathan said joining the circle with the basketball tucked under his arm.

"Speaking of hot girls, where's your sister at?" Damien West chimed in.

"Watch it, West," Jake warned. Damien West was not someone he chose to associate himself with, but unfortunately he vacationed here as well and lived basketball just like the rest of them. It was kind of inevitable, but he wouldn't let him talk about his sister in any way, especially not sexually.

"Yeah, where is Haley?" Lucas asked. Although she was younger than him, the two had become pretty good friends since he first began coming down to the beach with Nathan. They both had a love for classic literature, music, and had mutual weirdness. He considered her to be like his little sister.

"She's over there with Brooke and Peyton," he pointed to the bleachers where the petite blonde sat with her friend, laughing at something Brooke was saying.

"Damn," Skillz said, "Things sure have changed."

"What do you mean?" Jake asked confused looking at the look many of the guys had on their faces.

"He means if you're sister wasn't hot last year, she sure is now," Damien answered, whistling at what he saw.

"That's Haley?" Lucas asked. In no way did he find Haley attractive, but even he had to admit she looked different. Her hair was no longer straight and brown, but long blonde waves that cascaded down her back. She also seemed to have a confident glow about her, no doubt due to the prospect of going to her dream school. He looked over at his brother and chuckled at his look of absolute astonishment and awe.

"Now who's drooling?" he said low enough so only Nathan heard him.

Nathan snapped his attention away from the girl on the bleachers and to his brother, "I don't drool."

"Whatever you say, little brother," Lucas laughed and shook his head.

The guys mumbled amongst themselves about the new Haley James, but Jake's ears were burning and he felt quite nauseous. For goodness sake, it was his sister.

"Okay!" Jake yelled finally, "Can we play basketball and stop talking about my sister?"

The other's turned back to the game, much to Jake's pleasure, but one pair of cobalt eyes still watched the bleachers, unable to look away.

* * *

"This line is never going to come untangled!" Rachel Gatina complained, throwing her long red hair over her shoulder, exposing her bare sun-kissed skin, "Seriously, who stored these sails last year?"

"I believe it was you," Nathan told her as he undid the knots in his line with ease, "You swore you knew how to do it."

"Oh yeah, but I got bored with it and then just threw them in the shed," she laughed. She had only agreed to do it because Nathan was supposed to help her, but she ended up by herself and she just threw them in the shed without bothering to untangle them neatly.

Nathan continued to work on his lines, trying to ignore the person working with him. He definitely regretted telling her she could help when she asked, but she had caught him when he was heading over here from the basketball court. The girl was smoking hot, he'd give her that, and yeah, normally he would be trying to get her into his bed, but Rachel Gatina was one girl he would be happy not to hook up with. He'd known since his first summer here a while ago, and the two were friends for a while. She went to high school down in the southern part of the state, but now she went to college at Duke with him. She was a little more bearable there considering she spent most of her time hooking up with the entire football team, baseball team, and basketball team. Here, though, she seemed to not get the hint that he didn't want to partake in any special activities with her.

"Right," he said and walked over to help her, "Here's the loose end, all you have to do is work it through, one loop at a time."

He handed her the line and turned back to what he was doing. She huffed as she began doing as told. They worked in silence until they finally finished.

"You want to go for a sail on my dad's boat?" Rachel asked as they began storing the sails once more.

Nathan considered it for a moment, but despite wanting to get out on the water, he thought better of being alone with the seductress much longer. He shook his head.

"Nah," he said, "I've gotta head back to the house."

Rachel sighed in frustration at his reluctance to spend time with her. She had been trying with Nathan since they were younger, but he just wouldn't go for it. Perhaps it's because she was bigger when she was younger but she was hot now. She had made it her mission to get Nathan Scott in her bed and she would do whatever it took to succeed.

"Okay, well thanks for helping," he said as he shut the doors to the shed and locked it. After gathering their things, they made their way down the beach in silence. Rachel continued to try a start conversations about school and other small talk, but he would just nod and reply shortly. As she talked he couldn't help but think of the girl back on the basketball court. There was no way that was the same quiet girl he had known. Haley had changed in the last year and changed drastically. He had never found her to be unattractive but never found her to be anything extraordinary either. But the Haley he saw on the court was anything but ordinary; she was beautiful. As soon as he thought it, he mentally slapped himself. He never called girls beautiful but no other word came to mind when he thought of her long blonde hair, perfect smile, and petite little figure. He guessed preparing for college had done wonders for her. Man, Jake would kill him if he knew he was thinking of his sister this way. Damien West was enough to deal with, he didn't need one of his best friends thinking it as well. _Don't think about her, _he told himself, _she's like your annoying little sister._

As he continued to convince himself to not see Haley that way, Rachel called out to someone next to him and as if God himself had planned it, straight ahead was the girl that was clouding his head at the moment and again, she looked absolutely stunning. She was standing at the edge of the water with a ball in her hand, no doubt for Greta who was already half-way out. Her jean shorts accentuated her small but toned legs while a white tank-top covered over her bathing suit top. Her hair was being pushed back from her face as a small breeze blew past them. He sucked in a breath and fidgeted with his hands uncomfortably. Was he…nervous?

"Haley," Rachel greeted as they finally approached her, "Wow, you're acne has really cleared up."

"Rachel," she smiled back, "Afraid I can't say the same for your STDs."

Rachel scowled at the younger girl as Nathan snorted loudly at her dig. _Feisty, _he thought, _I like it. _Man, he needed to take it easy. He tried to disguise his laugh as a cough when Rachel glared at him but he was unsuccessful. Rachel huffed and made her way to her porch.

"I see you're no longer shy about your feelings for her," Nathan said once Rachel had disappeared.

Haley laughed, "I'm afraid there is no remaining neutral any more, especially not with her being Brooke's arch nemesis."

It was true, Brook and Rachel has been enemies ever since Brooke had begun coming down. Both were queen bees, so it was not surprising that they butted heads.

Nathan nodded in understanding and the two watched as Greta sprinted back and forth into the ocean, enjoying every wave that crashed against her small body.

"I should probably get back to the house," Nathan finally said, "The guys are going out to Tric later so I need to get ready."

Haley nodded at him, "Have fun. I'm sure Jake will be sneaking in with you?"

He smiled mischievously, "Worried about your brother, James?"

She scoffed, "I just don't want a repeat of last summer whenever you brought him back completely hammered and I had to tell mom and dad he got food poisoning when in reality he was puking tequila all night."

Nathan laughed at the memory of getting the younger guy drunk for the first time, "No, I think he knows his limits now."

She rolled her eyes, "Watch out for him, Scott or I might just kick your ass."

He pretended to look scared of her threat, "I'm scared."

She punched his arm and he laughed at the small little tap. As they continued their banter he realized two things; one, this was the most they've talked in a long time and two, they were flirting. He was flirting with Haley James.

He cleared his throat, "You could always come out if you want. I'm sure Brooke and Peyton are going."

She shook her head, "Unfortunately I wasn't gifted with looking older like you all. I still get ID'ed to get into R rated movies."

He chuckled, "You could definitely get in."

"Why's that?"

"Because," he looked at her, "You look good, James."

Without waiting for a reply, he made his way to his house leaving behind a blushing and smiling blonde. This summer was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Authors Note: **

**Hello! So, instead of posting the second chapter, I've decided to rewrite the first one and change a few things. As you can tell, this is AU but I am keeping the characters as close to canon as possible because I just love them all the way they are! After reading over my drafts of the chapters, I realized how vague I was and how confusing the backgrounds of each character was so I tried to give you some of that here. I hope you all enjoy the new and improved first chapter and thanks for responding to this story so positively! Chapter 2 will finally be released this weekend and it will then pick up from there! Love you guys!**


	2. Author's NoteStory Status

Hello out there, can anyone hear me?

No? Just me? *sigh*

So, I want to say first and foremost that the response you all gave me on both of my stories was absolutely astonishing. Never in a million years did I think you would like them so much just from a few chapters. You guys are awesome.

Which brings me to my next point: I want to apologize a thousand times for abandoning this site. It has been two years since my last visit and I am not really sure where I lost myself along the way. I started both of those stories during my senior year of high school, which eventually caught up to me and consumed my entire life. I moved on to college and I suppose I simply forgot about them. So there you have it; no giant excuse, just an explanation for my absence and I truly apologize.

I am well aware that many of my followers have probably moved on as well, I mean it has been two whole years! Not to mention One Tree Hill is no longer airing new episodes so my biggest fear is that the fandom has slowly died out. For me, Naley will always be my first and most important OTP. This show and that couple taught me so much about life and it got me through the rough times in high school.

So all this is leading me to say this to you; if you are still out there, you're in luck. I have not only stumbled upon my log in information for this account, but also the ALMOST completed **For the Summer **fanfiction, which means (drumroll) I will finish it and post it for you all because I owe you that, especially for the overwhelming amount of reviews it got based on one chapter.

I will try to post them pretty much all back to back, because you've already had to wait two years…and to my new readers…hi. You're in luck! So I hope some of you have stuck with me and again I apologize for not updating in so long. I will try to make up for it.

For the Summer will be posted starting this week. I'd like to do some editing and such to see if my writing style has changed in the last two years, but I hope I don't disappoint you.

Thank you all so much.

Love.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill and its characters belong to Mark Schwann, which is not me. **

Nathan's body was conditioned to wake up at the crack of dawn now days. After rigorous early morning work outs at Duke, he could hardly ever sleep past seven a.m. He easily slid out of his bed and stretched his long body, his back popping in several different places. He should be hung over, considering how much he had drank last night. He and the guys, the guys being Lucas, Skills, Jake, Damien, and Tony, had gone out for their annual beginning of the summer guys night. They would have taken the girls with them but unfortunately, they were all under age. Except for Rachel, but none of them really wanted to invite her. They all drank quite a bit, but he definitely drank the most. He supposed it was because he wasn't going to get the opportunity as much this summer.

Checking his clock, it read 6:58 a.m. _Right on schedule, _he thought. He got up and moved easily about his room, throwing on a pair of basketball shorts and one of his Duke t-shirts. He was careful moving out of his room and down the stairs, trying his best not to wake Lucas. The guy had gone soft since playing back in high school. He'd ask him on runs all the time, but Luke would just flick him off and roll back over to sleep. Just as well. He'd regret it ten years from now when he was nursing a nice little beer belly. Let's see Brooke Davis swoon over that.

As he made his way out of the large beach house, he immediately felt at home. The water was calm as the sun was peaking over the horizon, giving the sky a pink and orange hue. The air was cool, thanks to the breeze coming from the waves. He loved runs on the beach. The sand provided resistance, strengthening his legs and calf muscles, and he could run barefoot. He ran much faster without shoes on. He started with a light jog, increasing his heart rate and then beginning his sprints.

The best part of running was that it cleared his mind. He thought of nothing but the run and the feel of his body as he went. He ran the entire three mile stretch of the beach before turning around and making the journey back. He allowed himself to stay at a slower pace so he wouldn't overdo it. For the last ten minutes, he slowed to a walk, allowing the tide to consume his toes, easing the slight pain in his feet with the cool temperature. As the familiar part of the beach came in to sight, he noticed one lone chair sitting near the water. As if the gods were drawing them together, Haley James sat with her feet in the water, her nose buried in a book. _What a nerd, _he thought.

He approached quietly, noticing how her brow was furrowed in concentration and how her mouth moved, quietly speaking each word aloud. Her long blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun while in a tank top and pair of athletic shorts. He found it slightly comedic, considering she was the least athletic person he knew, but he figured they were Jakes and that she had just felt like being comfortable. Although he had never really paid any mind to her, he had always admired one thing about Jake's sister and that was her completely confident and careless attitude toward what others said or thought about her. While only admitting it to himself, this was one of his biggest flaws. It was the reason he was a complete ass most of the time and why he'd been so unaccepting of Lucas as his brother for so long. His dad lived off the thoughts and opinions of others on his family, so he made sure Nathan did too. Another point goes to Dan Scott and the destruction of his sons' lives.

"I don't know if anyone told you," he finally said aloud, "But schools out during the summer."

She visibly jumped at the sound of his voice before turning around to find its owner. Her eyes widened for a second at the sight of him before immediately recovering.

"I guess you didn't get that memo either," she noted, "Seeing as you are also up before the sun."

She sent him a grin before turning back in her seat and marking the page she was on, "So what brings the great Nathan Scott out of his cave this early in the morning?"

He wiped his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, removing the thick sweat from his face, "Well, Coach K appreciates the art of early morning work outs and he'd probably kick my ass if I got all soft over the summer."

She nodded, "A lot different from Whitey, huh?"

He laughed at the thought of the old man, "Coach K's conditioning makes Whitey's look enjoyable."

She grimaced, "Ouch, sounds pretty rough."

He shrugged, "You get used to it. How is the old man, by the way?"

She sighed, "Enjoying retirement I'm sure. I used to walk by his house every day on the way to Karen's and he would always be on his porch sipping coffee and reading the paper. He looks happy."

"Good to hear," he said sincerely. Although Whitey was a pain in the ass the entire time he was on the team, he had to admit he'd grown fond of his old coach. His methods were…different. He remembered when the team had sucked his junior year, mostly due to his and Lucas's beef, Whitey made them fix up, literally clean, an old gym and play in it until they could play as a team. That was the beginning of his friendship and eventual brotherhood with Luke. He honestly had Whitey to thank for pulling his head from his dad's ass and seeing the truth; his dad was the bastard, not Lucas. He missed Whitey some days and had always made plans to visit him eventually, but nothing ever brought him back to Tree Hill for long. He'd spent Christmas' with Luke, Karen, and Keith while other breaks were either spent here or with his basketball team. He hadn't seen his parents in a while, which was fine. His dad was running Tree Hill as mayor and his mom was popping pills in between rehab stays. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how completely messed up he sounds. He brought his attention back to the girl in front of him.

"You working the camp this summer?" he asked her after a short silence. The camp he was referring too was a day camp or summer day care of sorts. The community center offered child care to parents who were not off work during the summer or who just wanted to send their kids for alone time. Haley worked there every summer in order to keep a steady income. She usually worked at Karen's Café during the school year, which happened to be owned by Lucas's mom. After she and Lucas got to know each other, he convinced his mom to give her a job there. She had just quit after two years there and it was definitely bitter sweet. Karen was like her second mom and saying goodbye to her and the job was hard. She wouldn't be returning after this summer, but instead heading to California for Stanford.

"Of course," she groaned, "There is nothing like spending your summer working with a bunch of little br-angels."

He grinned at her words, "Well, at least we get off on weekends."

"Some parents, you know? Make your kids spend their summer at a day care, I mean…" she quit rambling when she realized what he had just said, "Wait, what do you mean 'we'?"

"I signed up to work there this summer," he revealed, "I'm kind of in need of some extra money, so…"

It was then she started laughing and he found himself laughing with her. She had a contagious laugh to go with her beautiful smile. _Quit saying beautiful, dammit! _

"You're going to work with kids?" she was still laughing, "Now this I can't wait to see."

"Hey!" he defended, "I'll be just fine."

She nodded, giving him a sarcastic look as if to say 'Yeah, right!'

"I guess we'll see then," Nathan challenged, "I'll see you at orientation later."

He made his way past her spot toward his house. He would admit that he was a little nervous about working with kids. He was never really around them and wasn't exactly sure how to handle them, but it couldn't be that hard. Besides, he needed the money. He was sick of living off his parent's money plus Dan had officially cut him off. His mom was still willing to give him money in the hopes that he would stop avoiding her, but it didn't help. He wanted to do things on his own and getting his first job this summer was the first step. He'd show his dad, Haley, and everyone else that he could be responsible. For now, well, he had to tell everyone else of his plans.

Making his way into the house, it was still quiet indicating the Lucas was still asleep. He quietly made his way up to his room, grabbed a set of fresh clothes, and showered. By the time he finished in the bathroom, Lucas was up and at the kitchen counter munching on a bowl of cereal.

"Morning," he said through a mouth full of Cheerios.

Nathan greeted him before reaching into the fridge for an orange.

"Brooke wants to hang on the beach today, you in?" Luke asked. Nathan shook his head. Luke was crushing on Brooke Davis and had been for the last year or so. They had gotten to know each other in the last year when Brooke started living with Karen because her parents had moved to California. He wanted to slap the both of them for not telling each other how they felt. They were waiting for the same thing; the other one to make a move.

"Can't," he replied, "I've got orientation at the center."

Luke scrunched his eyebrows, "Orientation for what?"

Nathan sighed, finally telling his brother of his summer plans, "I'm working the day camp."

Lucas gave him a strange look, as if to see if he was joking or not. When Nathan's face showed no hint of kidding, he busted out laughing just as Haley had when he told her.

"What is so funny about that?" he asked getting frustrated. Did no one think he could do it?

"Nothing," Luke said waving his hand, "It's just…have you ever worked with kids before?"

Nathan crossed his arms, "Well, no. But I need the money and it can't be that hard."

"Yeah sure man," Lucas replied, "Whatever you say."

Nathan threw away his peeled orange before stomping upstairs and firing up his play station. _Dude, it's summer, _he told himself, _go do something else. Video games are totally gay. _He sighed before making the awkward trip back down stairs and past his brother.

"Come on, Nate, I was just kidding!" Lucas yelled after him, but he had already slammed the door.

* * *

"Haaaaaleyyyyyy!" Brooke was whining as they sortede. Haley hadn't wanted to come, but she did need a couple of bathing suits; a one piece for the camp and another for recreation. They sorted through the racks of bathing suits at The Wave, the surf shop on the other side of the beach about twenty minutes away from their place. Plus, Brooke offered to drive which rarely happened, so she had to come.

"I'm sorry, Tigger, you know we can still go out on the weekends," Haley told her friend. Brooke had asked her to come out on the boat this afternoon, but she couldn't due to orientation for work. Now her friend had taken to pouting because she wouldn't be joining the festivities.

"Fine," Brooke huffed, "I think I'm ready to try these on. You?"

Haley looked down and saw Brooke had at least ten bikinis in her hands while Haley only held three, a one piece, a bikini, and one Brooke was dying to have her try on. She shook her head at her glamorous best friend and followed her to the dressing rooms. Parting ways, she first tried on her pick; a black bikini with thick halter straps and blue bottoms; simple and plain just like she liked it. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she looked almost…pretty. Her skin already had sun kissed glow to it and her stomach, which had shrunk over the course of finals and graduation, was now completely flat. She also had a sizable chest, which is why she liked the bathing suits to be thicker; so she wouldn't fall out and flash everyone.

"Okay, Tutor girl," Brooke said, "Let me see."

When she walked out of her dressing room, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friends choice; a bright pink fringed tube top bikini with tied together white and pink paisley bottoms. Not that it wasn't cute and her best friend couldn't pull it off, she could. Somehow Brooke managed to keep her body lean and toned even without working out. Cheerleading didn't count. It was cute, she would admit, but one small wave in the water would knock that sucker right off.

"I think you got that one out of the grandma section," Brooke told her crossing her arms in frustration, "Hales, I don't know why you're always covering up. You've got a smoking body, you know?"

Haley shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I like to make sure my boobs aren't going to go flying everywhere thank you very much!"

Brooke looked astonished, "The guys would be all over you Tutor Girl! Go try on the one I gave you. Oh, and yes, I think I look good too."

Haley laughed before going back in her dressing room and picking up the bathing suit Brooke had picked for her. It was definitely not her style but she'd try it on to please her best friend. She pulled the small fabric on, making sure the ties on the bottoms were as tight as possible. She once again looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see that she actually pulled it off. It felt a little redneck, but somehow she managed to make it look decent.

"Come on Haley!" Brooke yelled from outside her door.

She reluctantly stepped out and Brooke let out a squeal, "God Bless America!"

"Very funny, Brooke," Haley rolled her eyes. Yes, Haley James was wearing an American Flag Bikini feeling like a complete hypocrite. She used to make fun of girls like that.

"You look hot!" Brooke stated, "You're going to knock those guys right off their feet."

"For the last time, Brooke, I am not looking to impress any guys!"

"Whatever you say, Tutor Girl," Brooke waved her away, "You can act like you over your little Scott crush all you want, but deep down I know it's still there."

Haley groaned in frustration. Her crush really wasn't there anymore. Okay, so when he was around she thought about how hot he was, because he was extremely good looking! She no longer fantasized about him nor wrote his name on her notebook, which she might have done her freshman year of high school. Nathan Scott was not her type and she definitely wasn't the one night stand kind of girl. Nothing could ever and would ever happen between them. _You're spending an entire summer working with him¸ _a voice in her head reminded her. _So what? _She would be friends with him just like she was Lucas and then at the end of the summer, she'd be off to California. No time for crushes and unrequited love. This summer was about having fun with her family and friends.

"I'm not going to try the rest on," Brooke told her, "I like the first one."

With that, Brooke disappeared in to her dressing room. Haley sighed and went back to hers, contemplating which she should buy. She SHOULD buy the one she picked out along with her one piece.

"You're getting the flag, Tutor Girl!" Brooke yelled over the stall to her.

She knew it was wrong to give in to peer pressure, but somehow she ended up walking out of the store with three bathing suits. She checked her watch and saw that orientation started in an hour. Brooke dropped her off at home, where she disposed of her shopping bags and changed her clothes. She threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a blue tank top before pulling her hair into a messy bun, tucking the loose strands behind her ears. She grabbed her cute sandals and searched the kitchen for the keys to the Explorer, but they were missing. She looked out the window and saw that, of course, the car was missing too. _Great._

The walk would take her too long, because she had to be early, so she decided to go to her lovely neighbor's house. Before her knuckles hit the door to knock, it flew open and Lucas stepped out.

"Hey, Hales," he said surprised, "What's up?"

"Has Nathan left yet?" She asked.

He looked confused by her question and then remembered the conversation with Nathan that morning. He was working at the day camp, which Haley also worked at.

"Yeah, he left like five minutes ago," he told her, "Why?"

"Someone has the car and I need to get down to the camp like right now!" she said in frustration. She knew she shouldn't have went shopping with Brooke.

"Relax, Hales," Luke said, "I'll drive you over their real quick."

"Really?"

He smiled and nodded. He looked at his phone and texted something before leading her to his car. Getting in to his old jeep, she buckled her seat belt and they peeled out of the gravel driveway. She grabbed a magazine that was sliding around on the dashboard and flipped through it, the pages crunching and sticking together.

"Ew, the pages are sticky," Haley grimaced, "What have you been doing in this car?"

Lucas looked at her with wide eyes before recovering, "Have you read that issue yet? I think it's the "Why do I hang out with these people" one and you're on the front cover right?"

Haley snorted, "No it's the "My best friend is in an idiot" one and look, there you are."

Lucas chuckled at his friend's antics, "You're a mess, Hales."

The short ride was over as he pulled into the back of the center where a few cars were parked for the orientation.

"Thanks Luke," she said before climbing out, "Have fun with the Brookie monster. And just tell her how you feel already, it's getting annoying."

With that, she shut the door and gave him a small wave. He looked shocked at how nonchalant she seemed about him and Brooke. As if everyone didn't already know those two were just engaged in a long game of cat and mouse. _Men. _

Thanks to Lucas, she walked in with five minutes to spare. She saw her friend Teresa talking with Andy, the director. She waved at them both who each waved enthusiastically back at her. She then spotted Nathan sitting at a table to the side, messing around on his phone, no doubt to look busy.

"I never pegged you as someone who would be early to something like this," Haley said once she approached. He sat up in his seat after she spoke.

"Making a good impression on the boss," he shrugged. The truth was he was nervous. It didn't hit him until just a bit ago, but he realized that if he sucked at this job, which was a huge possibility, that he'd be fired. Nathan Scott did not get fired. No too mention, once he made it into the NBA he'd have to play for a kids charity or something like that and he needed to actually work with kids…you know, to make him look like he cared.

"Well how about you go talk to him instead of pouting in the corner," she said putting her hands on her hips, leaning to one side.

He looked offended, "I am not pouting!"

"Well you aren't shy," she said matter-of-factly, "So put on a smile, and go talk to Andy. He won't bite. The guy is like a foot shorter than you."

He glanced over at Andy and chuckled. The guy was pretty short and vey non-intimidating. He sighed and got up from the table. He walked over and introduced himself and Andy shook his hand enthusiastically, immediately telling him that he's a huge Duke fan and how beneficial Nathan is to the team. He found that he immediately liked the smaller guy. They got on fairly well and once orientation was supposed to start, he went and sat down next to Haley, who was engaged in conversation with a pretty brunette.

"Hi, I'm Teresa," the girl offered her hand.

"Nathan," he said before shaking it. He gave her the signature Scott smile and he could feel Haley roll her eyes next to him. She had seen this look way too many times.

He didn't get a chance to talk to Haley or his new friend because Andy talked non-stop for two hours about child safety, abuse, requirements and the whole nine yards. Once he finished, he made a move to get out of his seat, but was quickly stopped.

"Nathan," Andy called, "I need you to stay for a little longer. You have some certifications to complete."

He groaned but obliged. He and another newbie, a girl named Bevin, who had the IQ of a turtle, were taken to the computer lounge and Andy gave them a list of online certifications to complete. More stuff on safety, abuse, and awareness. His eye balls felt like they were going to fall out. His brain also felt like it was turning to goo, but that was mostly due to Bevin asking him questions every five seconds. Poor girl had the looks, but was seriously lacking in a brain. He finally finished what felt like hours later. Andy gave him a paper which informed him he had to take a first aid/CPR class this weekend and he inwardly screamed. He didn't know this job would require all of his time! He had already given up his week days and now his weekend?

He wasn't home until nine or so, plenty of time to get ready and go out. His friend Tim had invited him over to his place for poker, but he didn't feel like driving over there. Tim lived permanently about fifteen minutes away, not far, but he was already exhausted for some reason. It was a nice night, so he decided to go out on his walk way and enjoy the night. He walked out to a clear sky and the waves gently crashing against the shore. He heard someone laugh not too far in the distance and squinted to see two figures in the water. He didn't recognize them at first, but once he got a glimpse of the blonde fauxhawk, he knew immediately it was his brother and…Brooke? The girl squealed again and his thoughts were confirmed. He watched them embrace in the water and he felt himself grin. He felt genuinely happy for his brother. He'd had a crush on Brooke since his first summer down here, but was too scared to make a move because the guys teased him for crushing on a younger chick. Brooke was actually pretty mature for her age. He supposed now that Brooke was attending UNC with him, he decided to go for it. All those years of flirting had finally paid off.

He looked away to give the new couple their privacy and glanced next door. The house was much smaller compared to his, but if he was being honest, he'd give anything to have that. The James family was everything he wished he'd had. The parents loved and supported their children and money was never a priority. Not to mention they didn't have a junkie mom or a self-centered father. He supposed that's why he and Jake had got on so well. Jake had become like a little brother to him, sort of the brother he'd missed out on when Lucas wasn't around. Despite the age difference, Jake was probably his best friend aside from Lucas. Lydia and Jimmy James, despite not having much contact with them, treated him and Lucas as their own, which meant something to the both of them. They had to be the most caring people on the planet, which is exactly where he knew Haley got it from. He and her had never been close nor talked much although he was around a lot. In fact, this summer they had already talked more than they had in years. It wasn't because they didn't like each other, but she was always holed up in her room reading or around with Brooke. Jake was definitely more adventurous of the James twins.

The porch light came on and the two siblings walked out onto the porch, laughing about something. Jake had his guitar slung over his shoulder and they each took a seat on the steps. He began to pick the strings and sing a tune with music. Haley tapped her foot next to him as she listened to him sing.

_You can run, you can run, but you can't hide  
From my love  
You can run, you can run, but you can't hide  
From my love_

Nathan listened to his friend sing in the shadows of the night. It wasn't the first time Jake had played and he'd heard. Jake wasn't shy about showcasing his skills. He brought his guitar with him to every bon fire they had and often sat on the porch and played, not caring who heard him. He was about to turn in for the night when he heard a female take over.

_Baby, I know it's crazy that we argue, the name calling  
Baby, I know you miss me 'cause I'm thinkin' of you  
And you're thinkin' of me.  
Strangely, see I won't panic  
'Cause I feel you swing back my way  
You hate me, yeah, I get it  
But I can't even begin to start to hate you._

He felt Goosebumps rise on his skin as Haley sang angelically. Jake had a good voice, but his sister put him to shame. In all the years Jake had been playing, Haley had never once joined him publically and he didn't know why. She had a beautiful voice. _There it is again¸ _he caught himself with the word. He'd used to word beautiful one too many times to describe Haley James, but he couldn't deny that she was. She was beautiful and had immensely grown up in the last year. He realized that if he was having these thoughts of her in the first couple days this summer, he was in big trouble because she'd be working next to him every day and now that Brooke and Lucas were together, they'd definitely have to get used to being paired up. He had to just keep it platonic like he'd done with many girls before, except he couldn't sleep with this one. He respected Jake and his family too much to make her another girl. No, he would make it his mission to keep things with Haley strictly brother-sister. This summer was going to be excruciating.

* * *

**A/N Hi guys. So, unbelievably enough, I received even more reviews, follows, and favorites and I am just so happy you all are interested in this story. I apologize for the time it took to get this out. Editing this thing has been somewhat painful considering I had to change some things, including the first chapter, which I revised and replaced (so go read it !).**

**This chapter was previously two chapters, but I combined them because they were really short and long is better than short, so. Hopefully I'll have a few more chapters up this week. College is very bipolar. I love you all and thank you for your support! **

**Song: "You Can Run" - Bryan Greenberg (Feat. Kid Cudi)**

**See what I did there?**


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